The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a number of aspects of vocational rehabilitation and employment for persons who are blind or visually impaired. One aspect, however, that remains constant are the emergence of new and innovative ways to enable clients of the VR system to obtain employment. This webinar provides an overview of four such aspects.
Jonathan has more than 18 years of workforce development
experience supporting people with disabilities, immigrants, and other
underserved populations. He has served as a consultant to the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services and State Department, the European Union, and
numerous countries on workforce issues, including serving as a State Department
fellow advising the Egyptian Parliament and several ministries on
implementation of national disability workforce initiatives. His contributions
to migrant workforce integration and training programs have been recognized by
the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees as an international best
practice. Currently working on a doctorate in Organizational Change and
Leadership at the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern
California, he holds an executive master’s degree in leadership from the
McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and
a Master of Public Affairs from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.
Nancy
Parkin-Bashizi earned her Master’s Degree in Orientation and Mobility and
Rehabilitation Teaching for the Blind from the University of Arkansas, Little
Rock in 1995. This year she celebrates her 25th anniversary of
employment at Vision Rehabilitation Services of Georgia. For the majority of her time with VRS she has
worked as an itinerant teacher, providing O&M, VRT and Job Readiness
Training services to clients of all ages.
For
about 8 years, Nancy served as the Program Director and Lead Teacher at VRS. In
this role she worked to develop new programs to meet the changing needs of
clients and provide support and training to her teaching staff. VRS proudly
supports professional training programs and hosts at least one OM or VRT intern
each summer. Over the past 25 years Nancy has helped guide many new teachers into
the field. Though Nancy is originally from Canada she officially became a US
citizen in May 2015.
In
2012 Nancy earned her certificate in The Rehabilitation of Persons who are
deaf-blind from Northern Illinois University and has used this knowledge to
help build programs at VRS that provide training and support to clients who are
hard of hearing and / or deaf-blind. Helping her staff learn the skills needed
to work with this special group of clients is one of the achievements of which she
is most proud.
Nancy
has given numerous presentations on many aspects of Vision Loss and Vision
Rehabilitation at professional conferences and in-service trainings throughout
Georgia and the Southeast. In addition she has on occasion been an adjunct
Professor for the VRT Program at Salus University. Most recently, Nancy has
joined the board of GA AER, GA Blind Sports and is a member of ACVREP VRT SME
committee.
Ian
has been a state administrator of vocational rehabilitation services for
transition and children’s services, rehabilitation counselor, vision
rehabilitation therapist, and blind rehabilitation instructor. Additionally,
his prior experience includes serving as university faculty and graduate
program coordinator of blindness and low vision, international educator,
private consultant, federal consultant to the DoD and VA on blindness and
vocational rehabilitation, and research associate at a national technical
assistance center on post-secondary transition.
Ian
is a past chair of the VRT division, and AER board member for adult services.
In addition to his role as Chair-Elect of Division 2, he also serves on the
international board as the adult services representative and the Chair of the
Council of Division Chairs (CDC). He is also a Past President, and currently
President Elect of the National Rehabilitation Counseling Association, where he
holds the rank of Fellow (FNRCA). He is also Secretary of the Association of
Vision Rehabilitation Therapists. Dr. Shadrick is a certified rehabilitation
counselor and certified vision rehabilitation therapist. His research focus on
factors affecting employment for those with blindness or dual-sensory loss,
access technology, transition services, personnel preparation, and legislation.